Source: Greenpeace
Greenpeace Aotearoa is welcoming the Government’s announcement on action to reduce the dairy industry’s climate pollution, but says the move to subsidise Fonterra’s shift away from coal for milk dehydration is still far too little.
Greenpeace Aotearoa campaigner, Christine Rose says “It’s good to see the Government finally doing something to address Big Dairy’s colossal climate pollution and the climate movement can be proud of that, but we need much more. Without regulation to reduce cow numbers and synthetic nitrogen fertiliser usage, taking the coal out of milk dehydration is just a drop in the bucket.”
“Fonterra is New Zealand’s biggest climate polluter. We need to see the Government investing in shifting Aotearoa away from intensive dairy and cows, towards plant-based regenerative, organic farming that works with, instead of against, nature.”
Greenpeace is also saying that Fonterra could and should pay for its own emissions reductions. Fonterra reported a profit after tax of $1.3 billion, for the third quarter of FY23 – $854 million more than the same period last year.
“Fonterra is absolutely creaming it while the rest of us pay the price for dairy pollution, and they continue to get a free pass on the vast majority of their emissions. As New Zealand’s largest exporter, Fonterra can and should pay for its own emissions reduction,” says Rose.
“Most of Fonterra’s emissions come from cows not coal. These emissions are superheating methane and nitrous oxide gases, and are driving extreme weather events like Cyclone Gabrielle, from which New Zealanders are still not recovered.”
“Political parties cannot continue to ignore the dairy cow in the corner of the room. This year’s election will be a climate election, and all political parties must have the courage to take on New Zealand’s most polluting industries – in particular, Big Dairy.”
In the lead-up to the election, Greenpeace and over 40 other groups, have launched a call for all political parties to take climate action seriously with a 10-point ‘Climate Shift’ plan for climate action, including action on dairy. Over 11,000 people have signed on to the call.
